Revenge of My Own
by diamonddreamz
Summary: Emily confesses something to Daniel, her real identity. To her surprise, Daniel knew all along and he has a revengenda of his own. After episode 3x07 (Resurgence).
1. Chapter 1

I look over to a photo of us, one that I don't have the heart to take down. I run my finger over his smile, one I knew too well. Salty tears begin to well up in my eyes and I blink them away. I can't look at this picture anymore. My whole house, everywhere I look, I see memories of him-memories of happiness. Maybe if I let my walls down, he would be here with me now. Or maybe if I didn't mask my emotions, he wouldn't have left me for Sara.

As of this moment, revenge is the last of my concerns. I don't want Daniel back because I want to frame Victoria at the wedding. My reasons for missing him are genuine. Other than Nolan, he is the closest thing I have to family. They say that you don't know what you have until it's gone, and boy, is that phrase true. I always took his unconditional love for granted, prioritizing revenge over the possibility of a real relationship with him. If he would take me back, he would see that this time it will be different.

On the other hand, I'm happy that he's with Sara. She can offer so much more to him than I ever could, like honesty. It's probably easy with her, the complete opposite of how it was with me. I guess I can't blame him; he must have gotten tired of all the drama that comes with being with me.

This city, this house, this beach are all haunted by the ghost of us now. There's no place for me here in the Hamptons. I don't think I can bare seeing Daniel dating Sara and eventually marrying her. I reach for my laptop and book a flight to London, a place for me to start over away from everything. Before I can change my mind, I run upstairs and grab my suitcases and a bunch of boxes. I start by packing my clothes and toiletries. Maybe I shouldn't pack the furniture, what if I want to come back? So many thoughts are running through my mind...There's just so much I have to do!

Leaving seems rather melodramatic, but I can't stay here and watch Daniel with somebody else. I think about leaving Nolan, and a wave of sadness crashes over me. I'm really going to miss him. Speaking of which, I should give him a call. I grab my phone and dial his number.

"Hey Ems, why are you calling me this late?"

"Thank you so much for always being there for me and watching out for me. I know I don't say this much but you're my best friend and I love you, Nolan."

"I love you too Ems. Why are you saying this?"

"I'm going to London tomorrow morning."

"What? Vacation?"

I don't have the heart to tell Nolan that this trip is permanent.

"Yes. I'll be back before you know it. Anyway, I was wondering if you could drive me to the airport tomorrow."

"Anything for you, Ems. I got your back partner!"

I can't help but laugh! Nolan is so innocent, so good. I'm going to miss him most.

"8 AM, tomorrow morning. I'll be waiting. Good night partner."

"See you in the morning, Ems."

Tears come rushing down my face as I press the button to end the call. My heart hurts so much that I fall to the ground. I tell myself that crying is for the weak, and I am not weak. Letting out a huge sigh, I stand up and resume packing. I decide to leave my furniture, maybe I could rent this place. I take one last look at my living room and my eyes wander back to the photo of us. I walk towards the photo, reach out and grab it. I can't leave without saying goodbye to Daniel. I need closure.

I literally run over to Grayson manor barefoot and sneak in from the pool. Daniel is probably living in the pool house. My heart races as I knock the door. I hope he's there. I need to talk to him.

The door opens and I see Daniel standing behind it.

"Emily? What are you doing here?"

"I have to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course." He leads me to the bed and asks me to sit down.

Studying his face, I can see in his eyes that he's happy to see me. He looks at me intently, wondering what was so important that I came over here to tell him. I get lost in his eyes and I have no control over my mouth when I say..

"I have a confession to make."

Our eyes don't lose contact. He sees that this is not an easy confession for me to make, so he grabs my hand and encourages me to continue. For a moment, I toy with the idea of telling him it's nothing or faking a pregnancy. But Daniel deserves the truth. I'm leaving tomorrow morning anyway, I want him to know the truth before I leave.

"I'm Amanda Clarke."

Afraid to see his reaction, I shut my eyes tightly. What if he hates me? I'm preparing myself for the worst when I hear his laugh.

"I know Amanda. I've known all along. I was wondering when you'd come clean."


	2. Chapter 2

My eyes shoot wide open and a small gasp leaves my mouth involuntarily. For a minute, I'm unsure whether I'm awake or dreaming. Discreetly, I pinch my leg with my free hand. Okay, I'm definitely awake. He studies my face carefully, as if he's curious about my next move. He doesn't seem angry or disappointed. I honestly don't understand what's happening. This is foreign territory for me as I'm usually the one that's in control. Daniel's voice breaks the silence.

"Sucks not being the one in control, doesn't it?"

Whoa. It's like he read my mind. My head is spinning and I'm not sure what to say. How does he know? How much does he know? Why did he wait so long to tell me he knew? I'm not sure, but there's one thing I'm sure of: Daniel Grayson deserves an explanation.

"Daniel, I can explain."

"No, Emily. I know your story. I know all about Lydia, Bill Harmon, Senator Kingsley, Frank, Mason Treadwell, and your vendetta against my parents. But you don't know my story. So if anybody's going to explain, it's me."

He grabs my hand apologetically. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and in this moment I can feel all the emotions running through him. He's sorry that his parents ripped my father away from me and he understands my pain. I honestly don't know how I got those emotions from looking into his eyes, but I did. Many others have known my secret: Nolan, Aiden, Jack. But none of them have ever understood me like this. Even Aiden, who himself embarked on a revenge, has never sincerely understood me.

"Are you ready for me to continue?"

I'm not sure I want to know how he knows about me, but I feel like I need to know this. It really sucks, like Daniel said, not being in control. I want to tell him that I'm ready for him to continue, but because of all the shock, I can't seem to find my voice. All I can do is nod. He lets out a small chuckle, he seems amused.

"I don't know if you remember, but I have always summered in the Hamptons, even as a little boy.

I wrinkle my eyebrows. I don't remember seeing him around as a child.

"My mother ruled me with an iron fist. She never let me go out and play on the beach. I think she was afraid I'd get influenced by the wrong people, or get sun burnt or something. I don't remember her reasons."

Iron fist. Heh, that does sound like something Victoria would do.

"I know this seems irrelevant Emily, but please bear with me. I spent my days in the confinement of my room, looking out of the window, watching a little blond girl play. She was always so happy and carefree. She would run into the waves, collect seashells, and play with her little puppy. When I was watching her, I didn't feel so lonely."

.god. I'm the little girl. A lump starts to form in my throat as I think about those days, when things were easy. I wish I could be that little girl again. How did things get like this?

"Because of some business related thing, my parents had to spend a day in the city. They told me that they'd be back the next day. I realized that this was my chance and I gathered up the courage to sneak out of the manor to play on the beach, with the little girl. It was the first time I disobeyed my mother. The first time I was rebellious. I guess you could say that, I always had this bad-boy persona inside of me."

He laughs a little at the thought. Daniel never told me about his childhood, and I am immersed in his story.

"Since my parents weren't home, it was easy to get out of the house. I looked over to the shoreline to find the little girl. Sure enough, there she was. She was looking for seashells. I remember being so scared when I walked up with her. When she saw me, the little girl smiled at me and asked me to play with her. I remember that smile so vividly. It was so full of life. Needless to say, all my fears vanished when she smiled at me. We spent the whole afternoon running along the shores. Till this day, that afternoon is definitely in the top 5 moments of my life. We stayed on the beach until sunset. Eventually, her father called for her to come back home. Before she left, the little girl hugged me. I was not used to displays of affection like this, and I remember being stunned. I liked the feeling though, of being hugged by her. She told me her name and asked me if I would play with her the next day. That was the first time you asked me out, Emily."

Realization rushes over me. How could I not recognize him? I remember that afternoon so clearly. In fact, whenever I couldn't sleep while I was in the foster care system I would think about that afternoon.

"That was you? I believe you told me your name was Eric! And if I remember correctly, you stood me up!"

We both can't help but laugh, and for a minute I forget the reason we were having this conversation.

"I couldn't tell you my real name! What if you told my mother?" He fakes a gasp. "This is embarrassing but, the little mermaid was my favorite movie at the time and I liked to pretend that you were Ariel. You know, because you spent so much time near the sea. And I am a prince, in some kinda twisted way."

Okay, this is so surreal. I really can't stop laughing. Daniel clears his throat and continues with his story.

"I hope you understand why I stood you up. That was not the last time I saw you though. I spent the rest of summer, kinda spying on you. I remember being really scared one night. The sound of helicopters and police sirens kept me up. I saw the FBI take you and your father away, Emily. I remember you screaming, calling for your daddy. I remember wishing I could help, and feeling useless because I couldn't. I made it my life's mission to help you Emily. I vowed to help you once I could."


	3. Chapter 3

He holds my hand tightly and looks deep into my eyes. For the first time, I see Daniel for what he truly is. Throughout my time here in the Hamptons, I tried so hard not to fall for him by demonizing him. I convinced myself that he was a coward-a Grayson. It's obvious now that he's not. Daniel is kind, warm, loving, and honest. I lose myself in his deep brown chocolate eyes. With his free hand, he reaches over to my cheek and wipes a tear away. I had no idea I was crying. He looks at me with concern and squeezes my hand, his sign of telling me that everything will be ok.

"I'd like to think I lived up to that vow. You know, helping you once I was able to. By the time I was in middle school, I read all the books and articles about the trial that I could get my hands on. I read all the conspiracy theories. In high school, I discovered my father's private investigator. Secretly, of course, I asked him to track you. He was a good man, that one. He never uttered a single word to my parents."

This is so confusing. I never knew I was being followed.

"You were stalking me? For how long?"

"I wouldn't say I was stalking you, just..you know, keeping tabs on you. Anyway, he told me how difficult life was for you after the trial. The foster homes..the abuse. I can't imagine the pain that you went through. Out of all the things he told me, I was most disgusted by the fact that these people would force a little girl to believe that her father is a terrorist. I'm so sorry for what my family put you through."

Memories of my childhood come rushing back to me. It's been so long since I had thought about those times, and the wounds are still raw. I wince at the memories. I feel Daniel's body moving closer to mine as he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a hug. For the first time in my life, since I was the little girl on the beach that he described, I feel safe again in his embrace. I feel a slight shiver when he releases his hug. His arms were so warm, and the world feels so cold in comparison.

"Anyway, by the time I was in Harvard I started to become more serious about helping you. You had just come out of juvie and you seemed to be in a downward spiral. I was an intern at Takeda industries during the summer and I heard he helped others in similar situations as you. I sought his help. He was interested in you, and gave me his word that he would assist you with whatever you needed. I thought he would give you counseling or something. Imagine my surprise when this resulted in a mission for revenge."

The mention of Takeda's name brought a new wave of sadness over me. His death had been so hard on me. I never really forgave Aiden for playing a role in Takeda's demise.

"When I saw you on the yacht, during that memorial day party, I knew exactly what you were up to. I tried to distance myself so you could do what you had to do, but you made that impossible. You spilt that drink of me, and I knew that there was no going back. Since then I've been secretly aiding you in your mission. I made sure nobody took down the cameras you set up in the manor. I cleared any suspicion my parents had of you."

"Daniel..why didn't you ever tell me?"

He smiles. I've always loved his smile, so innocent and sincere.

"Now, where would the fun be in that?"

What a schemer! He has been one step ahead of me this whole time. Watching my every move, like a guardian angel. But I don't understand, if he wasn't planning on tell me…what was he planning to do.

"So you just assumed that I would come clean?"

He's surprised at me question. He furrows his brows.

"Emily, do you really think I'm that stupid? I knew you were never going to come clean; I needed something to push you. This is why I asked for Sara's help. Charlotte was obviously trying to get between us when she took me to the bakery, and I found that to be the perfect opportunity. With our wedding drawing near..I knew that the only way that you might confess was if you felt like you were losing me. Because Emily, no matter how hard you tried to conceal it.. I knew you had real feelings for me."

He is an evil mastermind. I want to engage in this conversation, but I'm not sure what to say. This whole time I thought I was the one in control, while it was Daniel pulling the strings all along.

"So now that the cat's out of the bag, what are we going to do? Do we move to a secluded island and live happily ever after?"

I stare at him and wait for a response. It would be so nice to runaway with Daniel and finally have a real relationship with him. A smile forms on his lips and it's so infectious. I think of the life we are going to lead together when his voice interrupts me.

"Emily..you don't mind that I call you that right? Amanda just doesn't suit you. Not anymore at least."

It's amazing to finally see how alike our brains work. Daniel just understands me so well.

"Yeah, that's exactly how I feel too.."

"Well, we could runaway. Or we could finish what you started, because I have a plan."


End file.
